Über Andrew Levy

Andrew Levy is one of those people in the music industry that seem to have infinite amounts of creativity. Best know (and most comfy) as the bass player for The Brand New Heavies, Andrew is also a proficient songwriter, keyboard player and producer.

The Brand New Heavies began in the 1980s as group called Brother International. The founding and ever-present trio of Jan Kincaid (drums), Simon Bartholomew (guitar) and Andrew Levy (bass/keyboard) had been influential in creating what became known as the acid jazz scene. They have since steered the Brand New Heavies into the current millennium, where they remain as influential and respected as ever.

The Heavies first made their reputation on the 80s London club circuit and were standard-bearers for acid jazz, the slower-paced, more soulful counterpart of acid house that also spawned the likes of Jamiroquai and Galliano.
They got their biggest breakthrough following an article in Vanity Fair in August 1991. Not only is it a major magazine, but also to their luck, it was the issue that featured filmstar Demi Moore posing naked and pregnant on the front cover - approximately 100 million people saw the magazine. Anyone, who looked beyond the front cover and started flipping through the pages, would have seen the feature headlined ‘Funky and Chic’ about up-and-coming British band called The Brand New Heavies. They were far from newborn at the time, having been conceived in the London suburb of Ealing in 1985 – but they were about to deliver the world some unique music. After that, they started getting press attention and the word got back to the UK and suddenly, there was this massive buzz … From then on, the public and press perception really took off for The Brand New Heavies.

Their eponymous debut album, now re-issued with new singer N’Dea Davenport’s vocals added, took off around the world in 1992, fuelled by the hits ‘Never Stop’, ‘Stay This Way’ and ‘Dream Come True’. The video for ‘Stay This Way’ enjoyed heavy rotation on MTV, taking them to a still wider audience.
Davenport’s departed the band again in 1994 and was replaced by Siedah Garrett who joined the group for their next album, Shelter, released in 1997. It contained the minor hit, the Carole King-penned song "You've Got a Friend" that was originally made famous by James Taylor.
But old-school fans dreamed of a reunion with N’Dea Davenport and in 2006, their wish was granted. The group re-emerged in fine style with a new CD called Get Used To It, including a fabulous version of Stevie Wonder’s I Don’t Know Why (I Love You).

Andrew made us two amazing TonePrints for the Flashback delay and Vortex Flanger. They are both used live and in The Brand New Heavies’ brand new studio where they recorded their latest album.